After the New Year, the shooting for "Palace City" began.
The Director was a tall, bald man with a fierce look, appearing almost like a gangster at first glance, yet those close to him knew he had a tender heart. As long as no one interfered with his filming, he never made things difficult for others.
Considering that this year, aside from Ye Qiu, two other young actors with significant parts in the drama were preparing for their university entrance exams, the team arranged their schedules to shoot their scenes earlier, prompting all three to repeatedly thank the imposing bald director.
The other two young actors, Wen Jingshu and Xiao Hua, both began as child stars. Their roles in this play were even more significant than Ye Qiu's, but since they were of the same age, they quickly became acquainted.
Wen Jingshu was relatively sweet-looking, having acted in several family dramas portraying the daughter of various esteemed actors and actresses. In earlier years, commercials featuring her study aids and snacks dominated television, earning her the nickname of the nation's favorite daughter among netizens.
This time, she played a noble who appeared innocent but had harmed many, even causing trouble for the favored Noble Consort. Eventually, her true nature was exposed by the female lead, leading to her character's death by imperial decree.
This was a challenging role that demanded high acting skills; undoubtedly, she also wanted to use this drama to alter her deeply entrenched image among viewers.
Compared to Wen Jingshu, Xiao Hua was less well-known. Apart from minor roles in several movies and playing Nezha at six years old, the once sprite and adorable Nezha had grown into a tall and handsome sunlit youth.
He portrayed the Eldest Prince, whose scenes were mainly in the latter part of the script. Although he had the support of the Empress Dowager in the drama, he ultimately lost to the son of the female lead and was exiled to the border, where he died in battle.
All three were college entrance exam candidates this year and were all interested in applying to the National Film Academy. They quickly got to know each other. Wen Jingshu's name sounded pleasant, yet her personality was quite the opposite. Defying her family's wishes, she was a chatterbox who never stopped talking.
Influenced by Jingshu, Xiao Hua was lively and cheerful. Compared to the two genuinely youthful individuals, Ye Qiu appeared quite mature, only speaking a few words when asked, and this was mostly because Jingshu deliberately engaged her in conversation to prevent her from feeling left out.
After a hectic half-month of shooting, the three took leave from the director to attend their arts exams. Fortunately, the National Film Academy was local, so they didn't need to waste time traveling.
After a few more days of shooting, Ye Qiu's scenes were accelerated, and after bidding farewell to the two, she returned to school to focus on her academic studies.
With less than four months to the college entrance exams, Ye Qiu did not audition for other roles, only returning to set for reshoots of a couple of scenes called for by the director.
On June 7, the highly anticipated college entrance examination commenced. Ye Qiu was fortunate enough to be assigned to her own school, which spared her the need to familiarize herself with a new exam venue.
She studied humanities and had memorized all her textbooks and the key points emphasized by her teachers. She slept no more than five hours each night and completed countless mock exams, managing to achieve top five in her grade on the last monthly test.
The old principal, upon learning that her aspiration was the Film Academy, shook his head in disbelief, considering it a waste of talent. With her intelligence, had she not discontinued her studies earlier, she might have even been a contender for the city's top scorer.
However, considering that she was an orphan with a bedridden grandmother to care for, he did not interfere with her decision. He had to admit, the entertainment industry was lucrative and she was both hardworking and beautiful; it was indeed fitting for her current situation.
The first subject Ye Qiu took was Chinese, and she answered smoothly, only spending extra time thinking during the essay part, with virtually no hesitation elsewhere.
After finishing the last subject, English, Ye Qiu walked out of the exam room relieved. She turned on her phone and saw a message from Wen Jingshu sent a few days earlier, introducing her to a new drama.
It was a low-budget comedy film directed by a student of Wen Jingshu's mother. Initially, the role was reserved for Wen Jingshu, but feeling it didn't suit her image, she recommended Ye Qiu to her mother's student instead.
In the film, her character was the female supporting lead, a beautiful and wealthy young lady.
After meeting the director and successfully auditioning, she quickly joined the crew. As it was a low-budget film, any delays implied additional costs. The director, not much older than Ye Qiu and betting his entire fortune, couldn't afford any setbacks.
Ye Qiu remembered that after its release in her past life, the movie became a hit due to its witty script and reliable acting. The director's good pacing also contributed, bringing the director, screenwriter, and lead actors into the limelight.
Since she clearly remembered Wen Jingshu hadn't acted in this film before, she didn't hesitate when she was invited to audition.
The film was about a poor boy who, plagued by bad luck since childhood and consequently suffering continuous misfortunes, wished to a Heavenly God to turn his bad luck into good fortune.
In the film, Ye Qiu's character was the unattainable love interest of the male lead, a proud, cold, and beautiful young lady who interacted very little with the male protagonist before or after his luck changed.
The male lead and the female lead, during their comical encounters and budding romance, had little to do with the young lady; Ye Qiu's role in the film was merely to look beautiful throughout.
While it wasn't a substantial role, Ye Qiu took it anyway, needing the popularity boost following the movie's success.
Since it was a comedy, the atmosphere on set was relaxed, and the filming was full of fun moments. Although the male and female leads weren't newcomers, having spent time in various film crews, they were personable and never standoffish. The young director was down to earth, and with the film destined to be a hit in the coming months, it was completed amidst laughter and joviality.
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